Tyran Stokes had never been in a college basketball practice facility until going to UK with his Prolific Prep teammates earlier this month. (Jeremy Bingham Photo)
Tyran Stokes is a 6-7, 195-pound forward at Prolific Prep (Calif.) who is considered one of the nation’s best freshman high school basketball players.
The 15-year-old Stokes recently was in Kentucky playing in a Grind Session event at Mercer County High School and his team, one of the best in the nation, actually went to Kentucky twice to work out at UK’s practice facility.
“That was a great experience. I have never really practiced in a college practice facility and that was great to do that and see what it was like,” said Stokes.
It will not be the last college facility he’s in. He already has scholarship offers from Alabama, LSU, Louisville, Xavier, Texas A&M, Arizona State, IUPUI and Jackson State. Indiana, UCLA, North Carolina State and USC are among the other schools who have reached out about Stokes.
What about Kentucky?
“I have not really heard from them but we will see. Coach Cal came this past summer and he did watch me play,” Stokes said.
He lived in Louisville until he was 9 years old. He says he “kind of grew up a Louisville fan” but then switched to North Carolina. Now he’s open minded about every school.
Stokes also got to watch UK play Florida in Rupp Arena when he was in Harrodsburg for the Grind Session.
“The only college games I had been to were Louisville games. I had never been to another one. This was my second college game. I went to see Louisville’s boys and girls when I was younger but I had never been to any other school to see a game until now,” he said.
Stokes had a lot of family watching him play in Harrodsburg this month and says he loves coming back anywhere close to Louisville to play so family, friends and family can see him.
“Our team is very talented and we just go across the country and hoop,” Stokes said. “We have great chemistry and do a lot of bonding off the court.”
He says his mom, uncle and others in his “circle” keeps “me straight” and make sure he keeps working no matter how much success he has. He’s already being projected by some as a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NBA draft.
“I love to play basketball. If I am not playing basketball, I am either asleep or in school,” Stokes said.
He’s not quite sure how strong he is even though he easily overpowers most opponents.
“I just do whatever Coach tells me to do (in the weight room). I just lift what they tell me,” he said. “I used to do a lot of pushups when I was a kid, so that helped. Now when I started lifting weights I just got bigger and bigger.”
He played both football and baseball when he was younger. He started football at age 5 in Louisville and his second season his team went 13-0. He was a big linebacker who “did hurt some people” and liked football.
However, he loved basketball and is more than just a bully on the court.
“I have a jump shot but I can go inside most of the time,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about size. I can get to the rim. I have to go against my teammates every day, so I am used to going against bigger players and that doesn’t bother me. But if I need to score outside I can do it.”
He also plays with a passion/intensity that never goes away.
“Ever since I was younger I have been playing up two years (in age division), so I have to move and play hard. If the game is fast, I got to be faster. If the game is slow, I got to play fast,” Stokes said. “I just never want to slow down. I want to be that energy guy every game.”
His teammate, Auburn signee Aden Holloway, recently was named a McDonald’s All-American.
“Aden is a great point guard, a very deserving McDonald’s All-American,” Stokes said. “I definitely want to do that, too. That’s a goal I definitely have.”
